Friday, April 30, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

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United States

Allergy Alert:The Murphy House (Louisburg, NC) recalls 414 lbs. of Brunswick stew products because they contain cracker meal with undeclared wheat and milk. The recalled Murphy House brand products carry a Sell By date of 5/17/10 and were distributed at the wholesale and retail level in North Carolina.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand):Premier Bacon Ltd is recalling their Premier Brick Shoulder Ham after discovering that it may not have been fully cooked. All 950g packs with a Use By date of 15th July 2010, Batch 112110 should not be consumed. The recalled ham was sold at the following Auckland supermarkets: Pak N Save at Albany, Botany Downs, Lincoln and Wairau; New World at Botany Downs.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Public health workers in Michigan, Ohio and New York are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O145 gastroenteritis that has struck students at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI), The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), and Daemen College (Buffalo, NY).

As of today, Michigan is reporting 8 confirmed cases, with an additional 13 cases pending. Ohio has confirmed 5 cases, with 8 still under investigation. One case has been confirmed in Erie County, NY; at least 11 more people may be affected. In all, at least 46 illnesses – 14 of them confirmed – have been reported so far.

A single strain of E. coli O145 is responsible for the illnesses in all three states.

E. coli O145 produces shiga toxin – the same type of toxin that is produced by E. coli O157:H7, and the same type that is responsible for the dysentery-like symptoms caused by certain strains of E. coli and Shigella.

According to a news release issued today by Washtenaw County Public Health, "[l]ocal, state and federal health officials are working together to identify a food source, supplier or distributor common to the affected areas."

While the food source – meat, leafy greens, or something else – is a mystery, it is likely that a supplier to all three school campus food service operations is the common element in this three-state outbreak.

E. coli O145 is not as prevalent in North America as its better known cousin, E. coli O157:H7. It is, however, equally to be feared. The microbe was linked to a food poisoning outbreak caused by contaminated ice cream made and consumed at a farm in Belgium in 2007. In 2005, E. coli O145 was recovered from the stool sample of a child in Slovenia who died after suffering from bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The microbe also has been found in the feces of beef calves in the United Kingdom.

The true incidence of E. coli O145 in the United States – whether in food or in clinical samples – is unknown, perhaps because of USDA's blinker-like focus on E. coli O157:H7. A recent survey of 1216 retail ground meat samples in the USA found three (3) samples that were contaminated with E. coli O145. An additional twenty (20) samples contained other non-O157 varieties of shiga-toxin producing E. coli.

The study was carried out on behalf of Marler Clark LLP in support of a petition to USDA to declare "...all enterohemorrhagic Shiga Toxin-producing Serotypes of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Including Non-O157 Serotypes, to be Adulterants Within the Meaning of 21 U.S.C. § 601(m)(1)."

While federal and state agencies carry out their epidemiological and trace-back investigations, public health departments in the affected Ohio, Michigan and New York counties are urging anyone who experiences symptoms of gastroenteritis to seek medical attention.

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Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.

United States

Consumer Product Safety Recall:Discount School Supply (Monterey, CA) recalls Double Egg Shakers (manufactured in Taiwan), because surface paint on the red eggs contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. The recalled items were sold in Discount School Supply stores nationwide from April 2009 through December 2009.

Canada

Allergy Alert:Cuisine Bern-Art Inc. (LaSalle, QC) recalls Cuisine Bernart brand Cabbage Rolls, because the product contains undeclared soy protein. The recalled items were distributed in the province of Québec and may have been repackaged at retail or sold at deli counters.

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall:Health Canada is warning Canadians that an unauthorized health product, "Slim-30" distributed in Ontario and Quebec by Duxx Enterprises Inc., contains an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient similar to the prescription drug, sibutramine. Use of Slim-30 could result in serious side-effects. Duxx has initiated a voluntary recall, and Health Canada is working with the Canada Border Services Agency to prevent additional shipments of Slim-30 from being imported into Canada.

Consumer Product Safety Recall:Artcraft Company, Inc. (Concord, ON) recalls "Beedazzled" Plastic Charm Bracelets (manufactured in China), because the bracelets contain lead in excess of the allowable limit. The recalled items were sold in Canada from September 2007 to May 2008.

Europe

Allergy Alert:ASDA recalls ASDA Prawn Coleslaw with a 'best before' date of 5 May 2010, after the product was found to have been packed using a Garlic and Herb Coleslaw lid (300g) by mistake. The Garlic and Herb lid does not declare the presence of seafood in the coleslaw.

Food Safety Recall (France):Gaec La Grange recalls Bleu du Vercors - Sassenage cheese after microbiological testing detects Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of the cheese. The recalled cheese was sold by the slice between April 8th and April 20 in various retail establishments in Drôme and at Leclerc d'Echirolles in Isère.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark):Harboe Farm A / S recalls minced pork and minced pork & veal (Best Before 11 April 2010 and 12 April 2010) after Salmonella is detected in a sample. The recalled minced meat products are no longer available for sale, but consumers should check their freezers and discard any remaining meat identified in this recall notice.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Following is a list of foods – sorted by brand name – that have been recalled since February 26, 2010 because they contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein that may be contaminated with Salmonella Tennessee.

These products were distributed in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore*. Please follow the live links for details of product and production lot identification.

The following products were manufactured by Earth Island. Follow Your Heart deli products are sold in grocery and health food stores and served in commissaries in Southern California; Follow Your Heart dressings are sold in grocery and health food stores across the USA.

BBQ Braised Tofu – 10 oz and 8 lb

Cheezy Garlic Pasta – 8 oz and 7 lb

Curried Tofu – 10 oz

Curried Tofu with Rice – 7 lb

Heartsmart Burger – 7 oz

Kung Pao Tofu – 10 oz

Kung Pao Tofu with Rice – 7 lb

Savory Tofu Saute – 10 oz, and 7 lb

Smoked "Chicken" Pasta – 8 oz and 7 lb

Sweet & Sour Tofu – 10 oz and 7 lb

Thai Peanut Tofu – 10 oz

Thai Peanut Tofu Wrap – 12 oz

Thai Peanut Braised Tofu – 8 lb

Texas Tofu – 10 oz

Veggie Burrito with Cheese – 12 oz

Low Fat Veggie Burrito – 12 oz

Beef Al Jus – 224 oz

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing – 12 oz, 32 oz and 128 oz

Fontaine Santé

The following items were manufactured and distributed in Canada, including at Costco warehouse stores (Costco Item #143434)

French's® Homestyle Spaghetti Sauce Mix, 1.63 oz, manufactured by ACH Food Companies, Inc. and sold to retailers and distributors in the USA

Fresh Food Concepts

The following items were manufactured by Fresh Food Concepts and sold in refrigerated sections across the USA.

Garden Fresh Spinach Dip, 16 oz.

Spinach Dip with Real Yogurt, 12 oz.

Garden Harvest

Special Blend Seasoning, manufactured by Olde Westport Spice and sold online at www.oldwestportspice.com, at food and craft shows in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas and Colorado and at limited specialty gift shops located in Kansas and Missouri, between November 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010

Giant Eagle

Steak Taquitos, manufactured by Windsor Foods and sold in Giant Eagle supermarkets.

The following items, recalled by The Kroger Company, were sold in Kroger, Dillons, Fry's, King Soopers, City Market, Smith's, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less stores.

The following items were manufactured by GNS Foods and sold in the USA.

Honey Mustard Pretzels, 10 oz. plastic jar

Bar Mix, 26 oz. plastic jar

Honey Cheddar Mix, 10 oz. plastic jar

Spike

The following items were manufactured by Modern Products, Inc., and sold in supermarkets and other retail stores in the USA. Spike Gourmet Seasoning and Spike All Purpose Seasoning also were distributed in Canada.

Spike Original Magic!, 3 oz.

Spike Seasoning, 7 oz., 14 oz., and 5 lb. bulk

Spike Vegit Magic!, 2 oz.

Spike Vege-Sal Magic!, 4 oz.

Spike Hot ‘n Spicy Magic!, 2.5 oz.

Spike Tenderizer Magic!, 3-3/4 oz.

Spike Onion Magic!, 2-1/2 oz.

Spreadables

The following items were manufactured by Emmi-Roth Käse USA and sold nationally by Emmi-Roth Käse USA sales people and distributors.

Crab Snack & Dip Seasoning, manufactured by Watkins Incorporated and distributed only through Watkins network of independent contractors, associates and through mail orders.

Weber®

Weber® Italian Herb Seasoning, 1.12 oz., manufactured by ACH Food Companies, Inc. and sold to retailers and distributors across the USA

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.

United States

Food Safety Recall:MiDAS Foods International (Oak Park, MI) recalls Instant Beef Soup dry mix and Instant Beef Stroganoff sauce mix because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products, which contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein supplied by Basic Food Flavors, were distributed to foodservice establishments in Florida and Tennessee.

Food Safety Advisory (Republic of China): A shipment of frozen pork ribs imported from the United States was destroyed, according to The China Post, after the meat was found to contain the banned substance ractopamine, a drug put in feed to make pigs raised for meat leaner.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.